Posted!

Join the Conversation

Comments

Welcome to our new and improved comments, which are for subscribers only.
This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.
You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.

You will need to register before adding a comment.
Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in.

Please be polite.
It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban.
If you see comments in violation of our community guidelines, please report them.

The Lions have lost three straight and now they’re heading to Green Bay. Is the season doomed?

In the immortal words of Aaron Rodgers, R-E-L-A-X. The sky isn’t falling. In fact, the Lions probably are going to win their next four games. I don’t want to hear about the Packers coming off the bye and playing at home on Monday night. They lost at home to a not-very-good Saints team last week. Honestly, the Packers are going nowhere with Brett Hundley at quarterback. After the Packers, the Lions play the Browns, at Chicago and host the Vikings on Thanksgiving. All winnable games that could make the Lions 7-4 and put them in the thick of the playoff race in less than a month.

What did you think about the Lions’ decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 at the goal line in the third quarter?

I thought it was wrong for two big reasons. For one, you take the points that early in the game. The Lions trailed, 13-12, at that point. Second, it seemed like the first option was a quarterback draw out of the shotgun. Stafford finally is reasonably healthy and now you’re going to turn him into a tackling dummy? He’s lucky Tyson Alualu sacked him pretty gently. If Stafford had continued forward, linebacker Ryan Shazier probably should have permanently planted him into Ford Field’s turf. On top of all that, right tackle Rick Wagner had just left the game with a knee injury on the prior play. I don’t even care that the defense gave up a fluky 97-yard touchdown three plays later. When you can take the points, take the points.

It’s not great. But it’s not as bad as everyone’s making it out to be. Sure, the Lions struggled mightily in the red zone. But let’s not forget something really important: This was the Pittsburgh Steelers, who came into Ford Field with the NFL’s No. 2 defense. Just about any team would struggle offensively against them. In fact, the Steelers should have won handily if not for several drops, including two in the end zone. Ben Roethlisberger has been a warrior, but he’s clearly past his sell-by expiration date and needs work on his golf game and TV career. The offense isn’t making a lot of mistakes and hurting themselves. You can even argue that with some better and, ironically, more conservative play-calling on fourth-and-1 by Jim Caldwell, the Lions could have won this game.